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Biomedical subjects

F Ramos-Morales

Publications and source records attributed to F Ramos-Morales.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

The proline-rich region of Vav binds to Grb2 and Grb3-3.

Vav has structural features found in signaling proteins and is expressed only in hematopoietic cells. The recent development of mice Vav -/- has confirmed a major role of Vav in early blood cell development. We previously showed that Vav constitutively interacts with glutathione-S-transferase-Grb2. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments supported the idea of a complex formed by Vav-Grb2 in vivo. This complex is of potential interest in signaling of hematopoietic cells. In this work we localize the domains of Vav and Grb2 involved in this interaction. By the use of an in vivo genetic approach (the double hybrid system) and through in vitro experiments (glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins) we furnish evidence that the interaction between Vav and Grb2 involves the C-SH3 domain of Grb2 and the proline-rich region located in the N-SH3 of Vav. Furthermore this was confirmed by the use of both Vav and Sos derived proline-rich peptides which blocked the binding. In addition we show that Vav also interacts with Grb3-3, a naturally occurring Grb2 isoform wich lacks functional SH2 domain.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

In vitro binding and phosphorylation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef protein by serine/threonine protein kinase.

Although the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nef gene still has no precisely defined function, in vivo studies have demonstrated that Nef is an important pathogenic determinant of HIV. In order to identify cellular proteins capable of binding to Nef, the HIV-1LAI nef gene product was expressed in the bacterial vector pGEX-2T as a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Nef fusion protein. Deletion mutants corresponding to 86 and 35 N-terminal residues of the Nef protein were prepared. The GST-Nef constructs were used to identify cellular kinases capable of interacting with Nef. After incubation with a Jurkat cell lysate, the GST-Nef constructs immobilized on glutathione-agarose beads bound to cellular kinase(s) and were phosphorylated at three sites in vitro: one on threonine at position 15, one on serine between residues 1 and 35, and one on threonine between residues 36 and 86. The Nef-phosphorylating activity was inhibited by protein kinase C (PKC)-selective inhibitors. Cell fractionation showed that this Nef-binding kinase was mainly in the membrane-associated fraction. These results suggest that kinase(s) of the PKC family are specifically bound to and phosphorylate Nef in vitro. The interaction of Nef with cellular kinases and its phosphorylation may be important in mediating the effects of Nef in HIV-1 pathogenesis.

Base Sequence

Endothelin induces tyrosine phosphorylation and GRB2 association of Shc in astrocytes.

While the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway coupled to receptor tyrosine kinases has been largely clarified, little is known about MAPK activation mediated by heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors. In a previous study, it has been shown that endothelin-1 (ET-1) signaling through heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors stimulates MAPK activity in primary cultures of astrocytes (Cazaubon, S., Parker, P. J., Strosberg, A.D., and Couraud, P.O. (1993) Biochem. J. 293, 381-386). To clarify the molecular mechanism responsible for this response, involvement of the adapter proteins, Shc and Grb2, has now been investigated. It is shown here that in these cells, ET-1 stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, resulting in its stable association with Grb2 but not with Grb3-3, a Grb2 isoform with partially deleted SH2 domain. These results demonstrate that tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc specifically interacts with the SH2 domain of Grb2. This response was rapid and transient, showing a maximum at 10 min and declining at 60 min. Interestingly, direct activation of G proteins by fluoroaluminate mimics the ET-1 effect. In addition, a shift to a higher apparent molecular mass of Raf-1 kinase, likely reflecting its hyperphosphorylation, was also detected in ET-1-treated cells. These data strongly suggest that ET-1-induced MAPK activation is a G protein-coupled pathway that involves Shc, Grb2, and probably Raf-1. In conclusion, the Shc-Grb2 complex may be involved in the activation of the MAPK pathway, not only by several receptor tyrosine kinases but also by heterotrimeric G protein-coupled receptors, such as ET-1 receptors.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

P56lck: a transducing protein that binds to SH2 containing proteins and to phosphotyrosine containing proteins.

In T lymphocytes, several proteins are rapidly phosphorylated on tyrosine after stimulation. In this study we examine the ability of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins from Jurkat T cells stimulated by CD2 or T cell receptor (TcR)-CD3 to interact with the src homology 2 (SH2) domains from p56lck (Lck). Our data show that the patterns are different depending on the stimulation. The specificity of the interactions was assessed by blocking experiments with high affinity phosphotyrosine [Y(P)] peptides. Phosphorylation experiments suggest that one or several kinases are able to interact with the SH2 from Lck. On the other hand, full length Lck overexpressed in Sf9 cells, which is tyrosine-phosphorylated at least on two sites, can interact in vitro with the SH2 from Lck, phospholipase C (PLC)-gamma 1, p85 (the regulatory subunit of phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase (PI3K)) and Nck and with the full length Grb2. These data give additional support to the idea that Lck is an important signal transducing molecule in lymphocytes.

Amino Acid Sequence

P56lck A lymphocyte specific protein tyrosine kinase: activation, regulation and signal transduction.

p56lck, a src family protein tyrosine kinase interacts with several T cell receptors, like: CD4, CD8, CD2 and the beta-chain of the IL2, thereby receptors devoid of kinase activity may transduce signals via tyr phosphorylation. Tyr 192 and ser 194, located in the SH2 domain of p56lck is phosphorylated upon CD3 triggering, which can change interactions of tyr-P proteins with this SH2 domain. Upon activation through the CD2 or the CD45 receptors the kinase activity of p56lck is temporarily increased. By immunofluorescent and confocal microscopy we observed that a significant proportion of p56lck and CD2 receptors are localized in endosomal vesicles after stimulation. By Western blot we showed a parallel recruitment of the PTK p70-ZAP in this vesicles. The role of p56lck away from the plasma membrane localized in vesicles is under study.

CD2 Antigens